Potential investors should not hesitate to plough their money into the country out of worrying about political uncertainty arising from the fact that Zimbabwe is close to holding harmonized elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe is due to hold harmonized elections between July and August this year, in line with the country’s Constitution.
In a speech read on his behalf at the official opening of the Mining Investment Conference, President Mnangagwa guaranteed the safety of investments made in the country.
“We will soon be going for harmonized elections. However, there is no need to worry about political uncertainty and this should not adversely affect your investment decisions,” he said in a speech read by Acting President retired General Constantino Chiwenga.
“Our governance institutions such as the independent judiciary and the legislature stand ready to ensure full protection of investments made within the confinement of our laws.”
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was focused on attracting quality investment from across the world.
“We commit to uphold the basic, internationally accepted responsibilities expected of any member of the global village,” he said.
The Zimbabwean economy has suffered from years of isolation as investors shied away due to unfriendly policies and an unstable political environment.
But since assuming office, the new administration has gone into overdrive to correct the ills of the previous era, placing re-engagement with the global community and building a robust, open and transparent economy at the top of its agenda.
On the mining sector, President Mnangagwa said it remained critical to the development of Zimbabwe as it was a major foreign currency earner.
He said the sector had potential to become the pillar for economic growth through value addition and beneficiation.
“We need to expeditiously come up with strategies on how local, regional and global finance and other support services can be mobilized to realize maximum value from various mining resources in our country,”
he said.